70 YEARS OLD AND STRONGER THAN EVER
From watering cans and Ventilation Hoods in the 1950s, to state-of-the-art switch rooms for some of the nation’s biggest mining projects, we’ve been flying the flag for Australian manufacturing for 70 years.
And it’s been a family story from the start.
In fact, Managing Director Dave Kounis still remembers making himself useful as a Ten-year-old in the workshop of the metal products firm his dad Paul Kounis started in 1953.
Fast forward several decades and Paul, now 91, and his son Dave continue to work side-by-side in the family business, which today is a leading Australian designer, manufacturer, and supplier of metal products.
Over the years, the iconic Kounis logo has been stamped on more than 20 million meters of cable ladder alone – enough to extend halfway around the world.
We’ve employed thousands of people and trained more than 250 apprentices. Several staff have been with us for 30 years or more.
Our family story dates back to 1912 when Dave’s grandfather left the tiny Greek island of Kastellorizio as a 15-year-old migrant and made the journey solo to WA as the eldest son in search of better fortunes for his family.
In a sad twist of fate, the uncle who was due to meet his ship died just days before it docked in Fremantle. Alone, hungry, and homeless, the young adventurer talked his way into a job and breakfast after hearing restaurant staff speaking his native language.
Today, his son Paul and grandson Dave agree that resilience, an enterprising spirit, and a can-do attitude have been instrumental in their business success.
With a third generation of the Kounis family waiting in the wings, it has been a delight to look back at some of the milestone moments in the evolution of our proudly family-owned, WA-based company.
Our first major project came in 1958 when we were commissioned to build metal water tanks. Orders for wheat silos followed and by the 1970s it was tractor cabs rolling off the production line.
In the 1980s, our product range includes electrical switchboards, cable supports, stainless steel fabrication, kit homes, welding fabrication, roofing, and powder coating. The ’80s also marked the beginning of our worldwide partnership with tech giant Siemens, as well as our first major mining project.
“Technology may play an ever-increasing role in our manufacturing operations today, but our staff is still at the core of everything we do,” Dave says.
